Chuck operating mechanism



Filed March 28, 1945 FIG. 4.

INVE NTOR FRANCIS W. KELLEHER BY QMLLW ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 14,1948

' UNITED" STATES PATENT OFFICE CHUCK OPERATING MECHANISM Francis Kelleher, Mass. Application March 28, 1945, Serial No. 585,372 f f M scans: (crews-4) Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

This invention relates to machine'toolsand is illustrated herein as embodied in achuck operating mechanism.

In many machine tools such as lathes, for 'example, the stock is held, While being machined, in a spring-collet type of chuck which is drawn forciblyinto a taperedseat in the spin dle'of'the machine firmly to grip and center thestock. Usually, the collet is operated'by mechanism in-' cluding a lever which is swung by the operator in opposite directions to open and closethe' c'ollet. This chucking operation is always arduous in the use of heavy machines, and may ho se in operating light machines, particularly if the machining operation isso short as to require frequent chucking of the stock. v

In view of the foregoing, an object ofthe invention is to provide a power driven chuckoperating mechanism which isreadily adaptable to any machine and is so easily operated "as to permit any woman to operate a machine which heretofore has required the full strength'of a man. I

To this end, the present invention provides power driven means for opening and closing a chuck comprising a rod operated by fluid-pressure, the rod being arranged to swing the usual lever for opening and closing the chuck. In order to permit the lever to be moved manually beyond the range of movement necessary merely to open and close the chuck, or to permit operation of the chuck by hand, the rod of thepower driven means referred to above is releasably connected to the lever by a latch, from which the lever can be readily disengaged by successively tilting the lever upwardly away from the latch. a

Various other features of the illustrated chuck operating means including additional features relating to the above-mentioned latch, will now be described in the accompanying specification;

and-then swinging it with reference to the drawing, and will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a part of a lathe in which a typical installation of achuck operat ing mechanism embodying the invention has been made- I .I- .1 Fig. 2 is an end elevation, with parts broken away and incross-section, of a part of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1. The valvefor actuating the mechanism being shown diagrammatically. Fig. 3 is a' front elevation-of'thevalve,parts of which have been broken awayc and shown in cross-section. Y

amendedApril 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the valve in neutral position, parts of the valve being broken away and shown in cross-section.

Only so much of a turret lathe i0 is illustrated herein as is necessary for the purpose of describing the invention. The lathe'comprises a spindle I2 having a tapered socket in which is mounted a split collet type of chuck [4. As iswell known in this art, collets have finished surfaces adapted to grip and center stock of round or other crosssectional shape and are closed by being drawn forcibly into a tapered recess or seat. In order to open or close the collet or chuck l4 in the illustrated machine, a lever I6 is swung by the operator in a horizontal plane to rotate a shaft IB about a vertical axis, this shaft being connected to other mechanism (not shown) for operating the chuck. For the sake of convenience to the operator, the lever I6 is also arranged to tilt vertically as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. The present invention provides means driven by fluid-pressure for operating ,the lever l6, this means being readily adapted for mount ing on a machine tool regardless of the position of the chuck operating lever and without requiring any modification of the lever itself.

The illustrated chuck operating mechanism comprises a cylinder 20, which. is mounted on the top of the head-stock of the lathe H] with the axis of the cylinder substantially perpendicular to the lever IB, when the latter is in a position midway between the extremes of its stroke. The cylinder 20 is closed at both ends by caps 22, each cap having a gland 24 which provides an airtight bearing for a piston rod 26, arranged to slide axially of the cylinder 20. On the central portion of the rod 26 is mounted a piston comprising a pair of cup washers 28, placed back to back, one washer being seated on a ring 30 which bearsagainst a shoulder 32 formed integrally with the rod 26. The washers 28 "are held together by a nut 34 threaded'on the rod 26. The rod 26 is connected to the lever I 6 by a latch 36 which is pivoted at 38 to the end of the rod adjacenttothe lever, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The latch has a hook 40 on its outer end, and a detent 42 opposite to the hook. The hook and detent are arranged to encircle the lever l6 slightly beyond the points where pressure is exerted on the lever by the latch so that as the rod is moved back and forth by fluidpressure, as will be explained later, a driving connection will be maintained between the-latch 36,.and the lever l6, notwithstanding the pivotal mounting of the latch on the rod.

arrangement also permits the simplified con struction of the illustrated piston, which has no supporting function with regardatogthe rodrz 6;

Although any suitable fluid under pressure may be used to drive the rod 26, the iHuStJrated n'ieCh anism has been designed to. employ compressed. air, which is delivered to theillustrated lathe; at a fitting 44 fixed to the top of the headstock of the lathe. Air is led from; thefitting through a tube 46 to a valve 38, the latter beingzfixe'd to:

the front of the head-stock and being connected to opposite. ends of-the. cylinder 20 by tubesifl and.52 The valve 4t'has alever Mwhichmaybe swung by alight;fingerepressure.of the aperiator. toicause. air under pressureto be admitted to'the. cylinder 20 at either sideof the piston, whereby the rod.2.6 is; moyed either to open .or close, the chuck. UL

'li hezvalve tlticomprises aport 56; (Figs. 3 and 4) through which." air is conducted, from the tube. 46,. into an. H-shaped chamber. 58. having apair ofvalve seats. 60,62 whichnor mally; are closed .by balls. 64, 66. respectively. The balls. 64, 66arenormallyheld againstgtheir seatsby. springs 68- which engage, at their. upper. ends, plugs, arranged to. close. the upper branches. of. the chamber 58.. Thevalve 4'8 is..also.bored. to recei vefa pair of. plungers. 1.2, liilwhichlare arranged tofslide} vertically 1.01 lift. the. balls. 614. and 66,. respectively, (meat a. time. off. their seats. The. upper portion. of. each or the. iungers is reducedta providean.airv passage. to; ports J61. TB towhich the. tubes 5,! and". 52,, respectively, are connected.v k

To. operate.the.,rod.2.6. to.the, left, (Fig. 2), the lever 5 b is swung, about: it's pivot. at. .8011. to. the right, as indicated in Fig. 3. During. such. 'a movement of. the lever; its upper surface raises the plunger. 1.2. from. its neutraLposition. than inlet. posit-ion, as illustrated. in Fig;v 3',.'i'n which the upper. end of. the plunger. 12. holdsv the ball 64.;oflj its seat 60. Air is. thuspermittei topass through. the. port, 16. and-.tube5fl into. the. right hand. endof the, cylinder. 20,. (Fig, 2) Accord: ingly, therodrzfi is moved to the. left, and'inisp doing swings the lever l6 towardsithe. frontof 4 the air in the cylinder to the right of the piston is discharged as the rod 26 moves to the right. This movement of the rod 26 is caused by the air-pressure in the left hand end of the cylinder resulting from raising the ball 66 off its seat. Thus, the valve 48 may be operated to admit air under pressure to either end of the cylinder 20 and-simultaneously toventfits; opposite end. It is tc'r-b'e understood that a liquid, as well as a gaseous fluid may be used to operate the illustrated mechanism. However, if a liquid medium were-.usedgitrwould be desirable to conduct the fiuid disch rged from the ports 82 and 84 to a Litton; any reasontit is desired to disengage the lever lfi from th latch 36-to permit the chuck theimachina.therebyopening the chuck. L4. This operation. of the rod.26. occurs .im nediately,.afteii the lever 5114s actuated. .and.is accompanied..b.y., a venting of theend. of. the cylinder 2Illto thel'eft of the:pis.ton, as willbe.explainedbelom. Therel after, the. lever-.is released by the operator and the springs68 cause the-lever 54,.to, be; returned to its neutral positionr as. illustrated in. Fig. 1. Whenthelever 5.4 isv swungftotheright (Fig, 3.)

as abovedescribed the plunger ldfalls, so. asLto uncoveran. exhaust. port 82-, through which vair in the cylinder to the left of thepistonis dis; chargedasthe. rod. 26. moves. to..the,.left.

-When it is. desired. toclose the, chuck M,. the lever. 5.4 1s swung. to the. left (Fig/1),. thereby lifting the. ball. 66 (Fig. 2-) ofiits s'eatfand. lien mitting,the.plunger 'lZfito. fall underzthe pressure of. the airisurrqunding. itsfrieducedfportions "Din".- ing; this. downward: movement. 'otthe plunger; t2, it uncovers an! Xhaust, port; 84; through t'o-beopened and closed by hand for exampletheqlever. I6 is-.first;tilted upwardly to swing the l'atcli: intcr its. inoperative position as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. Thereafter, the lever I l-S ma -be,. f;r.eely swung. in a horizontal. plane away. fire :the latch; and-whentilted high enough to avoid striking the cylinder 2.0. the. lever may be swung throughoutits stroke to. open and close the-chuck. Theilatchdddshld inits inoperative positionby .a' plunger 88 which. is arranged to slideaxially of. the rod26. Afspring Bil bears against thefinner end of. the plunger 88., the outer. endof whichfis. seated on a shoulder 92 on; the latch 36. This shoulder is. substantially vertic al when the. latcliis. in itsflnoperative .position..

'Iloreengage the-lever. lfi and latch 36,v the lever isswungjhorizontally into engagement with the detent. 4,2; thereby causing the. latch to be rotated in a counterclockwise direction about the pivot. 38 ,int'o'its operative position, as. illustrated imlfull; lines in Fig 2. The latch 36. also is held yieldinglyain. this; p.ositi0n: by: a plungerfifl, which is"; adaptedwto; engage, another shoulder on the latch, thiashQuIden being. perpendicular to the axiaof themed Zitwhen thelatch is initsoperative position.

The; invention, described. herein may be. manufactured and; used; by. orfor. the. Government of the. United- States at. America for government purposes; without thepayment. Ofi any royalties theregn; or. therefor;

Hayingdescfibedmy invention what I claim as novel and. desire:t"o;pr.otect.by LettersPatent of the-United, States. is

1 In amachinezt'ool having a chuck actuated by.anoperator'controlled lever; mounted to swing and tiltin different: directions, meansfor swin ingzsaidzleverxto;open and closesaid. chuck, said meanszcomprisihgza: shaft, means for reciprocating said shaft, a latch p-ivotedto saidv shaft and hayingia: hookarranged partially to encircle said 1eyer,,.said-latch:being adapted to beswung into an inoperativeposition in response to a tilting movement, of said lever. whereby said hook is moved; out of the; path of said lever when the latter is swung, andme'ans for yi'eldingly. holding said latch in its inoperative position.

2., In amachine tool. having a chuck actuated cyan operator controlled: lever mounted to swing and tiltin. different. directions, means for swinging said lever to open and close said chuck, said means comprisinga shaft, means. for reciprocating said. shaft, alatch pivotedtosaidshaft, said latchhavingahookand a detent arranged parat to... encircle, said. lever, said latch being all to -to be moveddnto.inoperative position in rs'sppnsgto. a.tilting movement. of. said lever to bring said hook out of the path Qiwsaid lever.

5 when the latter is swung, and to bring said detent into said path whereby said latch is returned to its operative position when said lever is swung into engagement with said detent.

3. A latch for interconnecting a reciprocably mounted shaft and an operator controlled lever on a machine tool, said latch being pivoted to said shaft and having a hook and detent arranged partially to encircle said lever, said latch being adapted to be moved into its inoperative position in response to a tilting movement of said lever to bring said hook out of the path of said lever when said lever is swung, said latch being yieldingly held in its inoperative position by a spring loaded plunger disposed within said shaft, said latch being further adapted to bring said detent into said path whereby said latch is returned to its operative position when said lever is swung into engagement with said detent, said spring loaded plunger being adapted to yieldingly hold said latch in its operative position.

, FRANCIS W. KELLEHER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

